Looking Back
Compiled by Ryan Schlehuber

An early lilac scene of Mackinac Island's main street from Hoban Street, where a carriage hauls hotel guests and their luggage to a boat dock. Tour buggies line Main Street, some with the new pneumatic rubber tires adopted by Mackinac Island Carriage Tours. The first building on the left is McNally Cottage. The first building on the right is the state liquor store, which now houses the Iroquois Hotel bicycle rental. Wandrie's Restaurant is further down the street on the right, and the Western Union office is seen on the left. (Photograph courtesy of Greg Main)

115 Years Ago

The St. Ignace News

May 16 to May 23, 1891

Winter before last the Zagelmeyer & Zeder Ice company leased premises at Mackinaw City on which they built ice houses and gathered a crop of the congealed fluid. The following July a dock was finished leading to the houses for the purpose of loading lake boats. This was constructed at a large outlay and no sooner had it been finished before a storm came up and washed a portion of it away. The dock was rebuilt and then the company was notified by the chief engineer of the Michigan Central to remove the dock, on the grounds that they were trespassing. The company paid no attention to the notification, believing that according to agreement they had the right to use the land.

Members of the Chambers family (from left) Rosella Chambers, Gunn Chambers, and Margaret Loretta Metivier (nee Chambers), on the steps of Grand Hotel. Mr. and Mrs. Chambers are the parents of Town Crier columnist Jeannette Doud and of the late Patrick Chambers and the late Alfred Edward "Gunn" Chambers. They owned a souvenir shop on Main Street and at Fort Holmes and Arch Rock. Mrs. Metivier was married to Albert Metivier.

On the night of August 10, 1890, the barge A.R. Kellogg was lying at the dock taking on a cargo of ice. Without a word of warning, the Michigan Central ferry, the Algomah, steamed noiselessly over from St. Ignace and crushed into the barge Kellogg. The night was so dark that Capt. Boynton did not see the barge until he was upon it. He backed the Algomah and, taking a new start, crushed the dock.

This proceeding was unwarranted by any of the circumstances in the case and in total opposition to the marine laws of the United States.

Zagelmeyer & Zeder saw that they had grounds for a lawsuit and were getting ready to begin one when information was received that the Michigan Central was ready and willing to make satisfactory adjustment of the matter. The beginning of the suit was delayed. Last week, the case was settled by the Michigan

Central paying to Zagelmeyer & Zeder, and the owner of the barge, $25,000, and $200 to the captain's wife, who was injured. Bay City Times

The steamer Gazelle went on Round Island Thursday night and the Faxton will release her today.

St. Ignace was flooded with Mackinac Island people Monday.

Tourists will soon be with us.

State Legislature -- The bill of Mr. Dodge to equalize bounties by paying $100 to all living soldiers who enlisted and were credited to Michigan regiments, and who have not been paid that sum as state bounty, and $50 to all who had been paid that sum on enlistment, and appropriating $200,000 this year and $200,000 next year to begin the payment, came up in the house on its third reading Tuesday. The author of the bill computed that it would require about $4,000,000 to pay these bounties, but the adjutant general department computed that it would require about $7,000,000. On motion of Mr. Trip it was referred to the committee on judiciary and state affairs, jointly. This is probably the end of the bill.

90 Years Ago The St. Ignace Enterprise

May 11 to May 18, 1916

Chas. Hasse of the National Biscuit Co., Grand Rapids, visited his trade here Friday.

Frank J. Allison of the Soo was calling on the meat men Friday in the interest of the Cornwell Beef Co.

Captain and Mrs. John McA. Webster and little grandson, George Pond, arrived Saturday from Detroit, where they had spent the past month.

Mrs. Delphine Dodge Ashbaugh, president of the State Federation of Woman's Clubs, gave a very fine lecture Wednesday afternoon at the school house to a large and appreciative audience.

Forty Hours Devotion opened Monday morning at Ste. Anne's church with solemn high mass celebrated by Rev. Father Sommers. The assisting priests were Rev. Father Gagnieur, S.J., Rev. Nigh of Mackinaw, and Rev. Fr. Kerfs of St. Ignace.

Music lovers of the Island were given a splendid treat Saturday evening at a recital given by the pupils of Miss Webb, assisted by Miss Nellie Doud, at the Mission House. Miss Doud, the ever popular favorite, rendered a number of selections which were enthusiastically received.

Seventy percent of the American people use electricity in some form.

It is said that the United States Army engineers have long used the following mixture for water-proofing cement: One part of cement, two parts of sand, three quarters of a pound of dry powdered alum to each cubic foot of sand. These are mixed and dried, and to them is added water in which has been dissolved three quarters of a pound of soap to each gallon. This, it is said, is quite impervious to water.

50 Years Ago The Republican News and St.

Ignace Enterprise

May 10 to May 17, 1956

The Mackinac Island Historical Society will hold a May meeting on Tuesday, May 15, at the Thomas Ferry school. Papers will be given on the 1850 period.

Mr. and Mrs. R. Arbib and daughters arrived Thursday from Hollywood, Florida, and are preparing the opening of their gift shops at the Island.

John Wellington, who is stationed with the U.S. Coast Guard at Sault Ste. Marie, is spending the weekend visiting his folks, the C.P. Wellingtons.

The summer offices of Grand Hotel opened Monday with N.C.

Bicking as manager, Barry McNulty, and Miss Virginia Townsan. The spring offices of Grand Hotel are in the Doud Cottage. Many workers for Grand Hotel also arrived this week and activities of cleaning have started.

W.O. DeWitt, golf pro of Grand Hotel, has arrived with his crew to prepare the golf course for its opening.

35 Years Ago The Republican-News & St.

Ignace Enterprise

May 13 to May 20, 1971

Victor Callewaert of Detroit has arrived for the summer and is busily preparing The Lake View Hotel and Ryba's candy shops for an early opening.

May 19th, WWJ TV, Ch. 4, of Detroit, with Dennis Glen Cooper, will show the 1970 Lilac Festival films, also the Reenactment of the Indian Massacre at old Fort Michilimackinac.

Mackinac Island Public School Honor Roll 7th Grade: Brenda Bunker, Sandy Gallagher, Christine McCready; 8th Grade: Cindy Cadotte, Patricia Martin, Patty Trayser (all A's), Beth Brown; 9th Grade: Chris Bloswick, Debbie Bradley, Dorothy Gillespie, Mandy St. Onge; 10th Grade: Arnie Visnaw; 11th Grade: Cathy Cowell, Claudis Olson (all A's), Dianne Peterson; 12th Grade: Bonnie Bodwin, Laurie Cowell, Dwight Lapine, Dee Therrien.

St. Ignace, Michigan, a city of some 2,800 strong, located at the north side of the famed bridge over the historic Straits of Mackinac, is celebrating its 300th birthday this year and has an unusual plan for publicizing the event. Seven local men, portraying Pere Marquette, Louis Joliet, and five voyageur paddlers, will shove off in birch bark canoes. They will retrace the route of the original Marquette-Joliet exploration of the Mississippi River. Along the way, they will present hand-painted scrolls to the mayors of the cities that have since arisen on the sites where the original party camped nearly 300 years ago.

10 Years Ago Mackinac Island Town Crier

May 18 to May 24, 1996

Archaeologist Richard Clute has found mostly kitchen garbage in the loose gravel in the trench outside the Stuart House, during a spring project to repair and waterproof the old stone foundation of the building, built in 1817. The project is part of a $2.1 million renovation of two historic city buildings.

This weekend the Island House, the oldest summer hotel on Mackinac Island, turns 144. It was originally built in 1852.

Editor's Note: The Mackinac Island Town Crier is seeking original prints or reprints of old photographs depicting areas in the Eastern Upper Peninsula to be scanned into its archives and for the Looking Back column. Photographs to be loaned or donated to the Michilimackinac Historical Society can also be dropped off at The St. Ignace News or The Mackinac Island Town Crier.